Nanaimo news

• Health-care non-profits brought together to spotlight need in Nanaimo

  12-12-2025 14:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The health-care non-profit sector was brought to the forefront of a recent event by the Nanaimo Foundation.
  Spotlight on Healthcare, held Nov. 27 at Wellington Hall, aimed to shine a light on the charities and initiatives improving health and wellness in the region with 15 different organizations represented.
  Tracey Brown, Nanaimo Foundation CEO, said she had heard from multiple non-profits that their typical holiday donations were down from previous years.
  “I think folks are worried about
  
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• Vernon martial artists top Western Canadian field

  13-12-2025 04:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Sundance martial artists from Vernon mined 69 medals in a dominating performance at the 2025 Western Canadian ITF Taekwon-Do Championships in Kamloops.
  Members of Sundance Martial Arts rose to the top of a field of 288 competitors representing 26 clubs, winning 20 gold, 17 silver, 32 bronze medals across almost every age category, securing first place overall and underscoring the depth of the club’s athlete development pathway.
  “These results reflect depth, consistency, and long-term
  
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• Christmas benefit show will be a packed night of music in Nanaimo

  13-12-2025 04:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  It’s be a blue Christmas for anyone who misses a night of blues music at Michael Patrick’s Annual Christmas Benefit show in Nanaimo.
  The frontman for the Michael Patrick Blues Explosion presents this year’s version of his fundraiser on Dec. 18 at the Queen’s Hotel.
  This year’s beneficiary is the Nanaimo Association for Community Living. Patrick toured the facility and said the association does a great job of providing opportunities and helping with wellness for peop
  
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• Wild NHL trade: Canucks deal captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota

  13-12-2025 02:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Vancouver Canucks have traded captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster deal.
  In exchange for the Norris Trophy-winning defender, Vancouver will receive defenceman Zeev Buium, forward Marco Rossi, forward prospect Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.
  Hughes, drafted No. 7 overall in 2018 by the Canucks, is one of the best players in Vancouver franchise history. The 26-year-old has 432 points in 459 games and 23 points in 26 points this season. He was named to the NHL&rs
  
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• Warrants issued in B.C. and Alberta for accused sex offender

  13-12-2025 02:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Nanaimo RCMP has asked for the public’s help to locate a suspect who is wanted for sexual offences in Alberta and British Columbia.
  According to a Nanaimo RCMP press release, Kyle Soloway, 33, is wanted for sexual assault, sexual contact with a child and failure to comply with a court order. The Alberta Prosecution Service has extended the radius of its warrants, and the B.C. warrant occurred in Nanaimo on Aug. 20 when Soloway allegedly failed to comply with a court order.
  The suspect&
  
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• Truck of missing Campbell River man found near Gold River: RCMP

  13-12-2025 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Campbell River RCMP have confirmed the truck of the man who went missing on Dec. 10 has been found around Buttle Lake, near Gold River.
  Matthew Hope, a constable with the RCMP, confirmed the RCMP and search and rescue are operating in the area with canine search dogs.
  Michael Surgenor, 53, was last known to be in Campbell River on Dec. 10 at around 10 a.m.
  He was wearing camouflage pants, a grey crew neck shirt and possibly a camouflage coat. He is described as a caucasian male.
  He is six fe
  
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• Charles Ledingham

  13-12-2025 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Jan 12 — Nov 16
  It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Charles David Ledingham . He passed away peacefully in the NRGH Palliative Care Unit November 16 . He was 69 years old .
  He was born in Winnipeg and moved to Nanaimo with his family in 1976 . He played Football and Baseball when he was young. He liked fishing and was an avid Blue Jays fan.
  Chuck is predeceased by his father Charles . He is survived by his mother Barbara Ledingham Smith , Brothers Dan and Curt and sist
  
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• Firm fined $1.2M for B.C. crane incidents, including fatal equipment drop

  13-12-2025 00:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  An Ontario-based construction firm is being fined just over $1.2 million for safety violations relating to three crane-related incidents in Victoria and Vancouver, one of which ended in the death of a mother of two in Vancouver last year.
  On Friday, Dec 12, WorkSafeBC announced they imposed three penalties against the Mississauga-based EllisDon Corporation for the incidents that occurred in 2024 and 2025.
  The first two fines against the firm – a total of $688,589 – involved one site
  
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• Semi collision kills 1 as Trans-Canada shuts Revelstoke to Golden

  13-12-2025 00:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  One person has died following a head-on collision between two semi-trailers on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Revelstoke, shutting the route to Golden until further notice Friday.
  Revelstoke RCMP reported Friday afternoon, Dec. 12, that this “serious motor vehicle incident” between the city and Rogers Pass summoned frontline officers at 9:20 a.m.
  One semi driver was declared dead on scene, while the other was transported to hospital in serious condition, police said.
  Highway 1 betw
  
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• Headline history: Waste diversion in Nanaimo has come a long way

  12-12-2025 23:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Waste reduction and recycling has evolved in the region in the last three decades.
  While the Regional District of Nanaimo and the City of Nanaimo are both efforting to divert 90 per cent of waste headed to the Cedar landfill by 2029, a story from the News Bulletin on July 3, 1997, stated that Nanaimo residents were only diverting 2,900 tonnes, or 24 per cent, of household waste in 1996 – that was up from the 16 per cent diverted in 1995.
  In addition, 47 per cent of recyclables were newspap
  
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• Donation program aims to save Victoria’s flower baskets from major pruning

  12-12-2025 23:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A coordinated effort between the city, Destination Greater Victoria and local residents is set to save the iconic hanging basket program from severe pruning.In a budget-saving move, the city cut the program in half for 2026, focusing on high tourism areas. It was a topic up for discussion during 2025 budget talks, and agreed to in the draft budget for next year during a November committee meeting.Coun. Marg Gardiner cited numerous emails supporting the hanging basket program. Discussion during a
  
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• Okanagan basketball teams detoured by highway closures gather for tourney

  12-12-2025 23:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  OK. So the highways prevent you from travelling to the Lower Mainland for your scheduled basketball tournaments.
  Do you sit and pout?
  No.
  You work the phones.
  With that, the Vernon Impromptu Invitational Senior Boys Basketball Tournament was born out of the floods of 2025, with tip off being Friday afternoon with the host Vernon Panthers taking on the Okanagan Mission Huskies of Kelowna at 3 p.m.
  All tournament games are at the Panther Pit.
  The championship is slated for 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec.
  
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• Kelowna’s vacancy rates now one of the highest in Canada: Report

  12-12-2025 23:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Kelowna’s housing market will continue to shift, as the city now has one of the largest vacancy rates in Canadian Metropolitan areas, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) annual rental market report.
  In the CMHC’s report, based on data ranging from January to October, the Greater Kelowna area – which also inclues Peachland, Lake Country, West Kelowna and Rutland – has the highest vacancy rates amongst areas over 100,000 people in Canad
  
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• Kelowna’s vacancy rates now among the highest in Canada: Report

  12-12-2025 23:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Kelowna’s housing market will continue to shift, as the city now has one of the largest vacancy rates in Canadian Metropolitan areas, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) annual rental market report.
  In the CMHC’s report, based on data ranging from January to October, the Greater Kelowna area – which also inclues Peachland, Lake Country, West Kelowna and Rutland – has the highest vacancy rates amongst areas over 100,000 people in Canad
  
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• Health officials warn of new influenza strain circulating in B.C.

  12-12-2025 23:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Health officials in B.C. are warning of a new strain of influenza circulating in the province.
  A statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry Thursday (Dec. 11) said that the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shows influenza levels continuing to increase throughout B.C.
  She added that data also indicates that the dominant strain in B.C. is the H3N2 subtype of influenza A, “which can cause more severe illness compared to other strains, particularly for older
  
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• North Island-Powell River MP Aaron Gunn eyes Premier spot as Conservative leadership race looms

  12-12-2025 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  North Island — Powell River MP Aaron Gunn is considering a run at being the next Premier of British Columbia.
  “Over the past week, I’ve had a lot of people reach out — community leaders, supporters, everyday British Columbians, and my constituents — encouraging me to run to be the next Premier of British Columbia,” Gunn posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account. “While I haven’t made a final decision, I am seriously considering doing so.”
  Gu
  
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• Allison June Sears

  12-12-2025 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  April 6, 1953-December 24, 2015
  For as long as I am here, you will be too.
  In the stories I tell,
  In the way I say your name,
  and in the way I live my life with the love you left behind.
  Missing you endlessly Mama
  Love Jennifer
  
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• Victoria house to come down despite heritage status because of tragic past

  12-12-2025 22:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  One of two ‘twin’ heritage buildings in Victoria is poised for demolition after what turned out to be an emotionally motivated application for redevelopment.Built in 1891, the house at 1112 Caledonia is designated heritage, as is the neighbouring house. However, in 2022, it suffered severe fire and water damage from an arson fire. That event played a part in the decision by Victoria council to agree to allow for its demolition.This June, a man was convicted of starting the April 20,
  
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• B.C. Premier Eby says he does not plan on calling a snap election next year

  12-12-2025 21:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Premier David Eby gave an unequivocal “no” when asked whether he plans to call a snap election next year.
  “It’s certainly not what we want,” he said during a one-on-one interview with Black Press Media on Friday, Dec. 12.
  This does not mean he is ruling out the possibility that his government could still fall on a confidence motion. The NDP currently has a one-vote majority, and Vancouver-Strathcona MLA Joan Phillip has stepped away from her duties for health reason
  
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• Nanaimo hospital district offering loan to expedite cardiac cath lab at NRGH

  12-12-2025 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Nanaimo Regional Hospital District is offering to cover 100 per cent of the costs to begin work immediately on a new cardiac cath lab in Nanaimo.
  At a board meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, the motion, which passed unanimously, stated that patients “experience significant delays and travel-related risks in accessing cardiac diagnostic and interventional services, impacting timely care and patient outcomes.”
  Lantzville Mayor Mark Swain, who brought the motion forward, compared it to lo
  
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• Cowichan Bay sea lion rescued from life-threatening entanglement

  12-12-2025 20:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A Steller sea lion is breathing a little easier now following the successfull removal of a severe neck entanglement, authorities say.
  The female sea lion, later named Stl’eluqum by members of the Cowichan Tribes, was first spotted in Cowichan Bay on Nov. 7. The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR) was notified shortly thereafter.
  VAMMR and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) engaged in a “complex, weeks-long rescue effort,” that was “supported by the Cowi
  
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• 23 damaged sites discovered on Hwy. 3 between Hope and Princeton

  12-12-2025 19:56 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton remains closed after 23 damaged sites were discovered on Thursday (Dec. 11).
  The Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTI) has confirmed, after a full ground assessment, that Wednesday’s (Dec. 10) heavy rain and atmospheric river caused “extensive damage” between Hope and E.C. Manning Park.
  “A priority site at (Highway 3) is severely undermined and a culvert is fully exposed,” the ministry said in a Thursday evening update. &
  
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• Province files claim against vaping giant JUUL in B.C. Supreme Court

  12-12-2025 19:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The province has filed a notice of civil claim against vaping giant JUUL, Attorney General Niki Sharma announced Friday (Dec. 12).
  Sharma said the claim was filed in B.C. Supreme Court under the new Vaping Product Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act to hold JUUL Labs accountable for its public harms, as well as to recover public health costs.
  It’s the first civil claim launched under the act, but Sharma said it will not be the last. She added that other manufacturers and wholesalers
  
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• Stephen Rodney Heizer

  12-12-2025 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  In loving memory ~
  Steve died peacefully in Ladysmith 23rd November 2025.
  He was the loving father of Melanie and Sophie Heizer, and husband to Suzanne. He is predeceased by his son Schrader Tad Heizer, and parents Nancy Landwehr and Robert Heizer. He will be lovingly remembered by sister Sydney, brother Michael, and extended family here and in Australia, as well as his very wide circle of friends.
  Steve was born in Berkeley, California in 1943. He had a great education and enjoyed his many adve
  
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• Former Harper cabinet minister will ‘wait and see’ about BC Conservative leadership

  12-12-2025 19:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A veteran federal politician in South Surrey/White Rock says she has not made a final decision yet on whether she’ll run for the BC Conservative leadership.
  While a new website launched Wednesday (Dec. 10) appears to signal the desire of former South Surrey-White Rock MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay to run for the provincial party’s top spot, Findlay herself said Thursday (Dec. 11) that she has yet to decide whether she’ll toss her hat in the ring of the yet-unlaunched leadership race.
  
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• Moxies brings belly-warming winter menu to 8 locations in B.C.

  12-12-2025 18:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Vancouver-based Moxies introduced a new Winter Feature Menu to 49 restaurants across Canada including eight in B.C.
  Until Feb. 16, the menu offers “feel-good flavours with a fresh, elevated twist,” raves Joanne Forrester, company president/CEO — and she’s not wrong.
  Because Surrey is no longer home to Moxies, we went to the well-renovated Langley location to taste some of 11 items on the seasonal menu, which starts at the bar with Agave & Amaretto Sour, Fireside Marga
  
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• Greater Victoria courses rule Golf Canada scoreboards in record-setting year

  12-12-2025 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  If you felt like every tee time in Greater Victoria was snapped up this year, the numbers back you up.
  Golf Canada’s latest numbers show local courses racking up some of the country’s highest totals for posted rounds in 2025, with the Island’s mild, snow-light weather giving players the closest thing to a gimme in Canadian golf.
  Five Greater Victoria courses cracked the top 15 nationwide in posted rounds.
  A posted round means a player entered their score into the Golf Canada sc
  
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• B.C. mayor ‘appalled’ all 14 extortion suspects are claiming refugee status

  12-12-2025 17:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is calling on the federal government to fix Canada’s immigration and deportation laws after learning that all 14 suspects identified by B.C.’s Extortion Task Force are claiming refugee status to avoid deportation.
  Locke issued a statement Thursday (Dec. 11) — the same day Surrey Police Service was investigating another overnight shooting at an autobody business believed to be extortion-related — saying she was “appalled” to learn the
  
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• ‘Wet trend’ to continue for Fraser Valley with road closures still in effect

  12-12-2025 16:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A “wet trend” is expected to continue this weekend in the Fraser Valley as flooding continues to impact the region.
  After floodwater breached Highway 1 on Thursday night (Dec. 11), the highway remains closed this morning between No. 3 Road and Sumas Way in Abbotsford.
  Sgt. Paul Walker with the Abbotsford Police Department said in a video that water remains pooled, impacting traffic. He added that side roads through the Sumas Prairie won’t give drivers access to Abbotsford.
  Acco
  
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• Snowfall warning issued for B.C.’s Cariboo, Chilcotin, Columbia Shuswap

  12-12-2025 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Friday, Dec. 12 affecting the Cariboo and Chilcotin, including Williams Lake and Quesnel.
  The warning is due to a weather system moving through B.C.’s interior bringing snow extending to areas including Lac La Hache in the south, Strathnaver in the north, and Nemiah Valley and Anahim Lake to the west.
  Snowfall may be heavy at times, with about 10 cm expected for the Cariboo, up to 15 cm for the Chilcotin.
  The warning is in effect until F
  
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